Instructions for Herb Wheel Planters

Using plants with contrasting textures and colors makes it easy to see the separate sections of an herb wheel garden.

Herb wheel gardens allow you to plant multiple herbs together, while providing separate sections for growing each herb. You can find herb wheel planters with individual wedge-shaped areas that fit together around a circle, creating a literal wheel design. You can turn a round garden planter into a simple herb wheel planter at lower cost. Use the wheel design to keep your favorite kitchen herbs in easy access or plant different varieties of a single herb, such as basil (Ocimum basilicum). Invasive herbs, such as spearmint (Mentha spicata), can spread throughout the planter to disrupt the wheel design.

1

Fill the planter with a mixture of potting soil and compost to within 2 inches of the container edge.

2

Stretch thin string across the top of the planter, dividing the circle into multiple sections, and tape in place. Unless you have a raised garden bed with lots of space, limit the planter to only four to six sections .

3

Plant the herb plants in one of the sections in the planter, using the strings as a guide to keep the different varieties in bounds. Dig a hole as deep as the original plant packaging and pack the soil firmly around the plant; do not push the soil up around the plant stems. If you have large wedge planting spaces, you can plant one plant near the center of the circle and two plants along the outer edge so the wedge fills in with foliage faster.

4

Push thin plastic dividers, such as the protective first page of an old notebook, into the soil between each plant species, if desired. For raised beds and large barrel planters, you can use paving stones or bricks to add a physical boundary between plants. The physical barrier isn't required, but gives the wheel more definition until the plants can fill in the empty space in the wedge.

5

Water the plants and soil thoroughly, adding water until the excess drains from the bottom of the planter. Choose herbs with similar water and light needs to ensure all plants in the container get the proper care.

6

Trim plants back as they begin to overcrowd the edges that separate the wedge planting sections. Many herbs actually need to be cut back frequently in order to branch out and continue producing new foliage. Cut flower spikes from plants such as basil to continue basil production and prevent seeding.

Things You Will Need

Potting soil

Compost

Round planter

String

Tape

Cardboard or plastic

Tip

The effect of the herb wheel planter works best when the planter will be viewed from above. You can place the planter on a patio below a deck or outside a window.

About the Author

A former cake decorator and competitive horticulturist, Amelia Allonsy is most at home in the kitchen or with her hands in the dirt. She received her Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and on other websites.